


his soliloquy of deceit ends

by EphemeralTheories



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Guns, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, One Shot, Spoilers, well sorta spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 02:10:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12245055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EphemeralTheories/pseuds/EphemeralTheories
Summary: Akira always saw through Akechi’s masks and the one he wore of malice now was no exception. For having the strength of self to wield a persona, Akechi was trapped — too long committed to a cause to back down. There was too much blood, too much lost, to turn away. He knew Akira could see the cracks in his guise, but Akechi also knew that it was too late.For Akechi, it would always be too late.Nothing would change.





	his soliloquy of deceit ends

**Author's Note:**

> Oh no, here's a contribution to the fandom that not only broke my heart but usurped Kingdom Hearts as my favorite video game of all time. This is my first fic for this fandom so please be gentle.
> 
> Also, feel free to find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/amgedpha) to talk about how Persona 5 literally broke my heart with Akechi.

      It was inevitable, their parting of the ways. It was ordained, predestined — a god deemed it just, therefore, so shall it be.

      Yet, Akira locked eyes with his companion, right hand holding a vice like grip on the other’s wrist. Something that sounded far too close to a plea escaped him.

      “One night, Akechi. — I’m only asking for one night.”

      Akechi’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t expected Akira to come after him. Akechi wasn’t worth the trouble, not with an ocean of blood in his wake, not with Akira’s knowledge that Akechi was to hold a gun to his head the next day, not with the threats that lingered over Akechi’s head if he was to fail to pull the trigger.

      The most dangerous of those threats being the ones he’d given himself, Loki’s voice suspiciously loud in his head.

      This was bigger than Akechi, bigger than Akira. Yet, the latter of the two refused to believe fate so concrete. Akira remained steadfast in his belief that heart, humanity, could bring any deity to its knees.

      It almost made Akechi want to believe.

      Everyone else whispered all the horrid things ever said about him in his ear and an even more menacing voice listed off all the names that he’d checked off a list, Akira’s at the very bottom.

      That voice was his own.

      Akechi took a deep breath, eyes meeting the grey of his companion’s. He still made no move to wrench his arm from Akira’s grasp. Against his better judgement, Akechi was always mesmerized by the veil of seeming indifference over Akira’s eyes, hiding some small piece of Akira that was undoubtedly broken. For certainly, pursuing Akechi proved something irrevocably wrong within Akira’s psyche.

      Akechi didn’t allow himself to consider that Akira’s insistence could imply something redeemable within himself.

      He’d long ago accepted that his existence was deprived of constellations, let alone stardust.

**‘If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.’**

_Until there’s nothing left._

      “Leave with me something,” Akira said, then.

       _To remember you by_ , went unsaid — and Akechi’s breath hitched.

      After all, _dead men_ didn’t need memories.

      Akechi had lied, cheated, and stole to find himself at Akira’s side, worthy of his trust. And despite his orders, his every instinct told him to do whatever it took to stay. His whole being prayed that he betray his cause, the gods, all for the sake of a man.

       _Tomorrow_ , Akechi reminded himself of his deadline, _Not tonight_.

       _He only wants tonight._

      “Nothing will change,” Akechi finally said, bring his free hand to rest over Akira’s, gently prying his wrist from the other man’s grasp.

      “I trusted you —,” Akira said, though he didn’t resist Akechi freeing himself from Akira’s grasp. Akira sighed, eyes never leaving the amber orbs of his companion. “For once, trust me.”

      Akechi couldn’t breathe, not anymore, not with the way Akira was looking at him. So, he did the only thing he’d ever done when it came to Akira, he let his mask crack.

      His voice was soft, so soft when he responded. And his gaze could not be met, eyes trained on the hand held within his own. He should have let go now. His arm was free and Akira wasn’t making any move to force him to stay.

      Akechi knew what he should say, but what came out of his mouth was a whispered agreement, “Okay.”

* * *

      The next time the two met was the following day, Akira in an interrogation room, one guard outside the entrance, another within. Akechi walked in but a moment ago, and he didn’t dare catch the other man’s gaze. Instead, Akechi smiled politely at the guard before gunning him down.

      The gunshot was muffled by the silencer poised on the firearm.

      The action, although to be expected, elicited a gasp from Akira all the same.

      “You’re mine.” Akechi said, the mockery of Joker falling from his lips with ease, as he proceeded to predatorily circle Akira.

      Only then does Akechi allow himself to study Akira, pressing the cold steel against Akira’s flushed and battered features.

      Akira always saw through Akechi’s masks and the one he wore of malice now was no exception. For having the strength of self to wield a persona, Akechi was trapped — too long committed to a cause to back down. There was too much blood, too much lost, to turn away. He knew Akira could see the cracks in his guise, but Akechi also knew that it was too late.

      For Akechi, it would always be too late.

       _Nothing would change._

      “Until the end,” Akira stated, even as the gun came to a stop at his temple.

      Akechi faltered at the confession, the crazed grin stretching his features losing its mirth. He truly hadn’t expected a response, not a sincere one, at least.

      Akechi couldn’t believe that the words spoken between passions that left them breathless were anything more than empty. He couldn’t believe that Akira had taken him into his life, his arms, his bed for anything more than using him one last time before they would end up on opposing sides.

      He truly wasn’t worth such fidelity, such unconditional acceptance, such love.

      “Promise me,” Akechi demanded.

      Akechi’s pulse raced, his breath became labored, and his mind lost all concept of anything and everything that was not what he craved since his mother died.

      Akira didn’t look at him. Akira stared straight ahead and Akechi tried and failed to ignore the single tear that trailed down his rival’s, his friend’s, his everything’s face.

      “Goro,” Akira said, softly, “Nothing will change.”

      Tension wound Akechi’s form tight at Akira’s words and he became a man Akira didn’t recognize.

      Akechi placed a mask on, one last time.

      He could deliver justice to this world — to Akira — and all it would take was a bullet.

      “Your path is clear,” Akechi said, “Run, and never look back.”

      The key to Akira’s handcuffs was placed on the table and the cold barrel of a gun was no longer acquainted with the thief's temple.

      Akira turned towards Akechi, then.

      “Come with me.”

      “I'm sorry to disappoint, Akira, but I'm afraid I can’t run — not anymore,” and to Akira’s horror, Akechi aimed the barrel towards himself.

      Even as he prepared to pull the trigger, Akira noticed Akechi’s smile, one of those few genuine grins that he seemed to reserve only for Akira, when the two were alone, when they pretended not to know they would stand on opposite sides of a war they were destined to lose.

      Akira swallowed hard, grasping desperately for the key that could free his hands and lead them both to salvation, all the while his eyes glued to the scene before him.

      And so, Akira was forced to witness Akechi as the detective prepared to greet Oblivion like an old friend, if only by baring his teeth against insurmountable odds.


End file.
